Things to do in Tunis
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Tunis
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is best overall, 17 to 24C, wildflowers at Dougga and Cap Bon, sea warming by May.
Summer is hot and beach first, sightseeing at dawn and evening, with Carthage Festival in July and August.
Autumn is the connoisseur window, sea swimmable into October, harvest season and the JCC film festival.
Winter is mild, wettest and quietest, with Ichkeul birds at peak and lowest prices and crowds.
Worst month for sightseeing due to heat, domestic crowds and prices.
What's on
- International Festival of Carthage Jul-Aug
Music and theatre nights in the Roman amphitheatre of Carthage, running since 1964.
- Hammamet International Festival Jul-Aug
Parallel summer festival to the Carthage festival.
- Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage late Oct/Nov
Africa and Arab cinema flagship film festival bringing Ville Nouvelle cinemas alive.
Best things to do in Tunis
Medina of Tunis
UNESCO old city of souks, palaces and Zitouna Mosque, best first seen with a certified local guide.
Bardo National Museum
Former palace holding one of the finest Roman mosaic collections in the world, including the Virgil mosaic.
Carthage
Spread out Roman and Punic ruins on one combined ticket, from Byrsa Hill and Antonine Baths to the Tophet.
Sidi Bou Said
Blue and white cliff village above the Gulf, best late afternoon for lanes, views, bambalouni and sunset.
Ennejma Ezzahra Palace
Neo Moorish palace with carved interiors, music instruments, gardens and a superb sea view, without crowds.
Dar Lasram
Restored Ottoman courtyard house with tilework, painted ceilings and calm rooftop views over the medina.
Dar Ben Abdallah
Restored Ottoman courtyard house with tilework and rooftop views, a calm counterpoint to the souks.
Avenue Habib Bourguiba
French colonial avenue walk past cafes, the cathedral, clock tower, theatre and Art Deco facades.
Where to stay in Tunis
La Marsa / Sidi Bou Said / Gammarth
best overall base for a leisure trip
Pretty and calm with sea air and walkable cafes and restaurants, with Carthage and Sidi Bou Said nearby.
Medina
atmosphere and a short sights first stay
Wake inside the UNESCO old city with souks at the door and breakfast in a tiled courtyard.
Les Berges du Lac
modern comfort, business and airport ease
New hotels, lake promenade and restaurants about ten minutes to the airport, with little Tunis character.
Central Tunis / Ville Nouvelle
budget and transport
Walk to the medina, TGM and Marche Centrale with a big choice of mid range hotels, but noisy streets.
Think twice about
- West Le Kram
Named in security reporting for theft and robbery. Pass through on the TGM, do not base or wander there at night.
- Deep interior Medina
Lanes are unlit, unsigned and labyrinthine after dark and taxis cannot reach most doors. Base on the medina edge instead.
- Central Ville Nouvelle around the main station at night
Petty theft and phone snatching plus periodic demonstrations make it a functional daytime base, not a pleasant evening one.
Best restaurants in Tunis
Dar El Jeld
Special Tunisian dinner of fish couscous and lamb in a tiled mansion with musicians by the Kasbah.
Fondouk El Attarine
Restored caravanserai courtyard for a good value medina lunch of brik, tagines and fish couscous.
Chez Slah
No frills family run seafood institution near the market, where locals eat grilled fish downtown.
Dar Slah
Traditional set menu lunch in a medina house, with couscous, red mullet and grilled salads.
El Ali
Tunisian restaurant and cultural space with tea and one of the best medina rooftop views upstairs.
Le Casino
Pick your fish grilled whole on the La Goulette seafood row, lively and local feet from the water.
La Galite
Seafood restaurant on the La Goulette corniche row, part of the local whole street fish dinner experience.
Le Golfe
Refined Tunisian and seafood dinner with strong local wines in a sea setting on the coast.
Outdoor things to do in Tunis
The Residence Golf Course
Robert Trent Jones II links style course between sea and salt lake, with flamingos and constant sea wind.
Citrus Golf Course
Two 18 hole courses through olive groves and hills, paired in a day trip with nearby Yasmine Golf.
Yasmine Golf Course
Championship 18 holes plus a 9 hole executive course, across from Citrus on a Hammamet golf day.
Carthage Bike Tour
Guided three hour bike ride linking the spread out Carthage sites on quiet seaside suburban lanes.
Dougga
Best preserved Roman hilltop town in North Africa, paired with Bulla Regia underground villas and Testour.
Cap Bon Peninsula
Coastal loop to Korbous hot springs, Punic Kerkouane, Kelibia fortress and Haouaria caves in one day.
El Jem Amphitheatre
Huge preserved Roman amphitheatre paired with Kairouan Great Mosque and medina on a long day trip.
Ichkeul National Park
UNESCO wetland for winter migratory birds and a ridge hike, paired with Bizerte old port and Cap Angela.
Best hotels in Tunis
Dar Ben Gacem
Restored 17th century houses run as a social enterprise, with rooftops and huge breakfasts in the medina.
Dar El Jeld Hotel & Spa
Mansion hotel by the Kasbah with a well reviewed rooftop, the special occasion medina address.
The Residence Tunis
Five star beach resort with thalasso spa, tennis and shuttle to its own golf course.
Four Seasons Hotel Tunis
International luxury hotel with private beach and large pools, a safe pair of hands in Gammarth.
Mövenpick Hotel Gammarth Tunis
Sea facing value luxury with a praised spa and hammam, walkable to La Marsa life.
Villa Didon
Small contemporary hotel above Carthage with panoramic Gulf views and sunset drinks.
Dar Ya
Hostel style guesthouse in a tiled medina house near Bab El Bhar, with courtyard, rooftop and breakfast.
Hotel Carlton Tunis
Art Deco fronted 1926 hotel on the main avenue, walkable to the medina gate and the TGM.
Is Tunis expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | TND 100 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | TND 200 a person |
| Splurge | TND 500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Medina of Tunis: a few days ahead
- The Residence Tunis Spa: a few days ahead
- The Residence Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Citrus Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Yasmine Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Carthage Bike Tour: a few days ahead
- Dougga: weeks ahead
- Cap Bon Peninsula: a few days ahead
- Book Dar El Jeld dinner, Fondouk El Attarine weekend lunch, Dar Ben Gacem rooms, Dougga and Cap Bon drivers, and Carthage Festival tickets ahead.
- Bardo and Ennejma Ezzahra are closed on Mondays. Many medina restaurants are lunch only.
Is Tunis safe?
- Watch for pickpockets in crowded souks and trams, and snatch theft in central areas at night.
- Ask before photographing people and do not photograph police, military or government buildings.
- Avoid demonstrations and football match crowds, and avoid border and mountain regions far from Tunis.
Tunis travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Cafe des Nattes in Sidi Bou Said has no menu overcharging reports. Agree the price before you order there.
- Medina helpful friend approaches that end in a carpet or perfume shop are a commission play. A polite no works.
- Airport taxis are notorious for scams and Bolt cannot pick up inside the terminal. Pre book a hotel transfer or walk to the rental car parking area.
Getting around Tunis: public transport and more
- Ride the TGM light rail from Tunis Marine up the coast to La Goulette, Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and La Marsa.
- Use Bolt in town for metered yellow taxis at a set price, or insist on the meter if you hail on the street.
- Use louages for cheap intercity trips, and hire a driver or rated private tour for Dougga, Cap Bon and Kairouan El Jem.
Who Tunis suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Tunis your trip
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